Tuesday, July 17, 2007

from Angels Espresso to the Forest Café

I met Andrew Philip for lunch today in the Angels Espresso café on the Canongate. It was good to catch up with him and to exchange our current manuscripts. I’ve only had time to glance at the first three poems so far – good stuff!

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday 18th July), I plan to take in a poetry reading in the Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, Edinburgh, from 8pm. Elizabeth Gold, an American poet I ran into at StAnza earlier this year (she had a poem selected for George Szirtes’s masterclass), is one of the readers. I don’t know the venue, but it’s described as having a “hippie vibe,” which could be either bad or good.

12 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Hi Rob - any advice on current venues for poetry in Edinburgh? I'd really like to read on November 4th (a Sunday), the day after I'm doing a workshop for the SPL. Maybe you could read too, and we could entice ABJ from Glasgow? I'm not fussed about making money from it - just need a nice venue...

Great to see you yesterday, Rob. I found it quite an encouragement. It's refired my enthusiasm.

Re venues, you could also check out whether Mai Thai would be up for a one-off reading. It has the advantage of being the Shore Poets' home at the moment and therefore familiar to at least a section of the poetry audience. Different atmosphere from the Forest I imagine, never having made it along to the latter.

There's always upstairs at the Waverley for old time's sake, Roddy ...

The Mai Thai might be possible, but I don't like it that much as a venue. Where is Artcommunity/Left Bank café?

The Traverse Bar has had some literary events, but I bet they charge the earth. It would be great to resurrect a bar with poetic tradition e.g. Milne's Bar, but I suspect there's little chance. I'll investigate over the next few days.

Upstairs at the Waverley is one of my all time favourite venues. Is it really still the same? The owner there must be really elderly now. He inherited half of St Mary's Street, making him a very wealthy man and kept the pub as a hobby. Last time I was there, it certainly hadn't changed an inch since, I'd imagine, the 1950s. It's a wonderful atmosphere too, when you fill it up (only takes 40 or so!)

We should consider it if possible - thanks for your help guys - I hope you will take part if we get something organised.

I plan to do some investigation on Friday. Today, I'm all tied-up, which isn't as exciting as it might sound...

I won't forget the setlist, Andrew. In fact, I have a 'gig' in Glasgow in September, so you'll have a setlist from that too.

After conversations with Andy Philip on Monday, and then last night with Elizabeth and Kapka (see my latest post - Thursday 19 July), I think Edinburgh needs a new venue for quality poetry, literature, and other such ventures. So while I'll be checking out places for the one-off November event, I'd like to start off something that might develop into a more regular thing.

You're right about the need for a new, quality, affordable venue, Rob. There are some good spaces around but they tend to be expensive. (I'm thinking of the Storytelling Centre, for instance.) Further investigation has revealed that the Left Bank is no more.

Somewhere else that might work is the Theatre Workshop. A colleague of mine organised a reading there a few years back. However, I think his wife is or was involved in the Theatre Workshop and I've no idea how receptive they'd be to hosting an event without such a link.

Come to think of it, the Roxy Art House on Roxburgh Place might be a good bet. They have a small theatre space that might work as well as the big cavernous main hall.

I'd certainly love to take part if the event comes off. But whatever, I'll make an effort to be there.

Hmmm. The Storytelling Centre, of course... The thing is, I know Donald Smith and other people on the committee. Maybe they might do me a major discount deal if I grovelled enough. On the other hand, maybe not, but it won't hurt to ask.

About Me

I'm from Scotland. My chapbook poetry collection, 'The Clown of Natural Sorrow' was published in December 2005 by HappenStance Press. 'The Opposite of Cabbage', my first full-length collection, was published by Salt in 2009. Another chapbook, 'Fleck and the Bank' (also Salt), came out in May 2012. My second collection, 'The Good News' was published in April 2013. I read, write and review poetry.